Helping you grow in God's all-sufficient truth and grace

I Am Loved

October 8, 2012by Paul Tautges

Continuing my meditations in the book of 1 John, the Holy Spirit has focused the eyes of my heart on another important truth about my position in Christ. According to the Word of God, I am loved by my heavenly Father. The little word “am” is what I usually do not think about. Yes, based on such Scriptures as Romans 5:8 and 1 John 3:16, I think about how I “was” loved by God at a moment in time—when He sent His only begotten Son into the world to be my Savior. And, yes, I “was” loved at another moment in time—when He graciously poured out His holy wrath upon His own son as He bore the penalty for my sin (2 Cor 5:21).

However, the Holy Spirit—through the Word of God—is so wonderfully drawing my attention to a present reality: the heavenly Father loves me now, today, this very moment. I “am” loved. In addition to 1 John 3:2, which is what got this current series of meditations started, the following statements from the fourth chapter of John’s letter are feeding my weary soul.

1 John 4:9-10 - By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1 John 4:15-16 – Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

1 John 4:18 – There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

Following the pattern of previous posts, I have asked myself three questions of these texts.

WHAT IS TRUE OF GOD? – God has already proven His love for me by sending Jesus. His wrath is propitiated. God abides in those who are born-again. He has given His Spirit. God is love—it is His nature to love. God’s love does not produce fear.

WHAT IS TRUE OF ME? – I am loved. God’s anger has already been appeased, fully, in Christ. God abides in me. God has given me His Spirit. I abide in God who is love. I am filled with God’s love and, therefore, should not ever be controlled by fear.

WHAT LIE(S) MUST I REPENT OF BELIEVING ? – I must earn His love. There is a “low-grade” anger in God that I must always fear. I must strive for His love. Fear is a better motivator for my obedience than love.

If I want my mind to be renewed by God’s truth then I must continually think on these things—the truths mentioned above—because they are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, excellent and worthy of praise (Phil 4:8). For, though my feelings do not always tell me so, I am loved by God. What more could I want?

7 Comments

What a great reminder! I think it is common for people in our circles to be motivated by a fear of God, which is sad. Fear does not drive people to do great acts of worship. Love, on the other hand, does.

What more could we want??? That is the question that has left me pondering. Really when we try to add things to salvation or the Christian life we are saying we need something more than God has given us in His Son.

I am guilty of many times living like I have to earn a right standing with the Lord. I forget that the Lord’s anger and punishment was appeased on Christ, as my substitute. Any “bad” things that come into my life is chastening from the Lord. God proved his goodness by sending Christ!

I am guilty of wanting more than God’s love – I want His love and people’s approval, or success, or people’s love, or whatever else I think I need. I need to remember just how incredible God is to love me -not just once but continually. Meditating on truth brings peace as I learn to rest in God.

I need these reminders so often! Thanks for pointing out that God’s love is not a “one time” event, it is every moment of every day. I have no need to fear man or question God’s ways because I can be confident in His perfect love for me.